Man is a dog’s best friend in Rob Minkoff’s computer-animated time-travelling yarn based on characters created for segments in the 1960s TV series, The Rocky And Bullwinkle Show.

Mr Peabody & Sherman harnesses the latest digital trickery to propel the hyper-intelligent canine protagonist (voiced by Ty Burrell) and his adopted son (Max Charles), on a rip-roaring adventure, including pit-stops in besieged Troy, 18th century France and the Italian Renaissance.

Mr Peabody And Sherman

As a potted history lesson, the film shoehorns facts and figures, including the mummification rituals of King Tutankhamun (voiced by Zach Callison), between breathlessly orchestrated action set-pieces and slapstick humour.

Craig Wright’s smart script refuses to roll over for sugary sentiment, charting a less obvious route to our heartstrings.